Psyched Out- Story Eleven: My's Alternate Season 4
by Mychand
Summary: String, Caitlin, and Saint John go undercover in a mental hospital to find out what happened to Doc who had been searching for the cause of a good friend's death there.
1. Chapter 1

_This one was inspired by a lot of old television shows. :o)_

**Chapter 1**

Stringfellow Hawke opened his eyes and looked around to see that he was lying alone in bed. He could hear the rain hitting the roof of the cabin and the thunder booming in the distance. He realized the thunder was the cause of his sudden awakening. He listened intently as he heard Caitlin shuffling around downstairs. He could smell the aroma of cinnamon drifting up to the bedroom.

"Caitlin, what are you doing?" he yelled to her from the loft. "It's early. Come back to bed."

"Just a minute," she yelled back. "I'll be right up."

String who had sat up when he first noticed Caitlin was gone laid his head back on the pillow and listened as she slowly crept back up the stairs. He rolled over on his side and stared at her as she reached the top of the stairs carrying a tray with cinnamon rolls and orange juice. She put the juice on the nightstand and carried the plate of rolls with her as she climbed back into bed.

"Breakfast in bed?" he asked. "This is new."

Caitlin smiled and snuggled up to String before handing him the plate. "It's an old tradition in my family," she said. "My mom always made cinnamon rolls on rainy weekends. The whole family would climb into bed together and just spend time talking and laughing."

String smiled at her. "Sounds like a great memory."

"It really is," she replied. "I was lucky to have such a close family. There are so many things I really want to share with you now that we're together."

String sat the plate down and reached over to pull her hair to the side. He began kissing her neck as she munched on a cinnamon roll. "I'd love that," he said. "But I have another rainy day tradition that I'd like to start too."

Caitlin turned to face him and shoved the rest of her cinnamon roll into his mouth. "As soon as you finish eating," she replied with a grin.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied laughing at the look she gave him.

A few moments later, String could hear the sound of a helicopter landing on the dock.

"Who would be here this time of morning in this rainy mess?" he asked.

Caitlin sighed. "I can only think of one person," she said.

"Michael!" they said in unison.

Caitlin threw on her robe and Hawke pulled on his sweatpants before they both headed downstairs.

Hawke barely made it to the front door before he heard the knock. He opened it quickly to see a drenched Michael standing there.

"Why in the world are you here on a day like this Michael?" asked String as he coaxed him into the cabin.

"Believe me," replied Michael. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't urgent," he said. "I've already talked to Saint John and he's on his way."

"Why? What's up?" asked Caitlin.

Michael handed Hawke a letter. "I received this letter this morning. It was written five days ago. Read it and you'll see the problem."

String read the letter and his concern grew quickly.

"What is it?" asked Caitlin.

"It's a letter from Doc," replied String. "Apparently he was investigating the death of a good friend who was in a mental hospital. He wrote the letter and sent it to Michael and me in case something went wrong."

"How would you know if something went wrong?" asked Caitlin.

Michael sighed. "He was supposed to contact us three days after writing the letter to inform us about it. If he didn't then we were to assume something had gone terribly wrong. I've gotten all the information you'll need on this hospital," he continued. "Apparently his friend was supposed to have committed suicide but Doc didn't believe it. The place is run by a Doctor Case. He's known for doing some controversial treatments with his patients. Doc seemed to think he might be the cause of her death and he went in as an intern to try and prove it."

"How can we help Michael?" asked Hawke.

"Luckily the place is going through several staff changes so adding new people in there will be easier," he replied. "Saint John has an interview Monday morning for an orderly position and Caitlin will go in as a new intern. Her position is already set."

Michael handed Caitlin a large packet. "This should be enough information to make you seem pretty knowledgeable. You'll have until Monday to study it all," he said.

"What about String?" she asked.

"Let me guess," he said. "I'm going in as a patient.

"Yes," replied Michael. "You'll go in as yourself. You'll be suffering from PTSD. I thought it would be the easiest case to make and wouldn't get you flagged as a fake so quickly."

"When do I go in?" he asked.

"We'll hold off on sending you in until Tuesday," he said. "I'll feel better having Caitlin and Saint John in place before you go in."

"I hope that we aren't too late to find Doc," said Caitlin. "That's a lot of time to wait."

"I know," replied Michael with a frown. "I wish we could do more, sooner but if we spook these people, we may never know what happened to him or his friend."


	2. Chapter 2

_Sorry for the delay in this chapter. It's the last week of school so things are hectic. I should catch up by the weekend. _

**Chapter 2**

After spending the rest of her weekend studying the materials that Archangel had given her, Caitlin was ready but nervous about starting the internship at the mental hospital. She would be working the overnight shift and was relieved that Saint John had gotten the job as an orderly on the same shift. Once there, she was immediately introduced to Doctor Case who she was told she'd be working directly with. He was older man in his late fifties with slightly graying black hair. She could tell he had lived a hard life because his face was more wrinkled than anyone else she knew at that age.

"I believe you'll learn a lot from working with me," said Dr. Case. "I've read some good things about you. Is it true you are interested in experimental treatments?"

"Yes," she replied. "That's why I tried so hard to get my internship here with you," she replied. "I heard you are doing some fascinating breakthrough treatments."

Dr. Case smiled. "Well, I have had some positive results," he replied. "The biggest impact has been on patients with PTSD. I just saw that I'm getting a new patient tomorrow morning who is suffering from that. You'll get a chance to see my experiments in action."

Caitlin tried hard to smile. She had to hide her concern of the fact that he was talking about String. "That's great," she replied. "It looks like I got here just in time."

As they were talking, another doctor came into the room. This one was much younger, in his mid thirties and Caitlin found him to be rather handsome.

"Ah, Doctor Jordan," said Dr. Case. "This is our new intern, Caitlin Owens. She'll be working closely with us over the next two months."

Dr. Jordan smiled at Caitlin as he seemed to be looking her over. "Wow, no offense but you're the best looking intern we've ever had."

Caitlin smiled. "No offense taken," she said. But, she thought to herself, "What a male chauvinist."

Already, something about both men made Caitlin's skin craw but she knew she had to get them to like her and play along with everything in order to gain their confidence. Her first priority was to try and find out what happened to Doc. So far, he was no where around and no one had mentioned him. She figured that she'd have to probe some of the patients for that information as soon as she could get away on her own.

"I'll show you the rounds," said Dr. Jordan. "Tonight you'll follow me and tomorrow night you can try it on your own. After rounds we work with the specialty cases that Dr. Case gives us."

"Okay," sounds great." Caitlin said. "I'm anxious to start."

Caitlin followed Dr. Jordan around for the evening. She couldn't help but notice how he liked to touch her on the shoulder or arm whenever he got the opportunity. "He must like me," she thought. "I'd better go along with it. I just hope Hawke understands that it's for Doc."

As morning came, so did the end of her shift. An hour before she was to leave, they got their new PTSD patient which Caitlin knew would be Hawke. He was brought in by ambulance and had been put on a gurney in restraints. Caitlin watched as they wheeled him into his room. She stood back and watched both men deal with him.

"Why the restraints?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's what I want to know," String yelled. "I don't need to be tied down."

"It's for your own good Mr. Hawke," said Dr. Case. "When I return this evening, we'll discuss removing them at that time."

Caitlin watched as Dr. Jordan took a syringe and stuck it in String's arm.

"What's that for?" she asked.

Dr. Jordan winked at her. "Oh, we have to sedate him until we do his evaluation this evening. This way he won't be a danger to himself or anyone on the day shift."

"Oh, I see," she replied, trying to hide the worry in her voice. "Michael, I'm not sure about this whole thing," she thought to herself.

"I'm not a danger to anyone," said Hawke whose eyes were growing increasingly heavy.

"We'll decide that this evening, Mr. Hawke," said Dr. Jordan. Then he turned to Caitlin. "Speaking of evening, would you like to have dinner before our next shift?"

Caitlin tried to avoid looking at String when she replied. "Sure, I'd love to," she replied.

"Great," he said. "I know this wonderful little restaurant just down the street from here. We can meet up about an hour before our shift."

Dr. Case handed Caitlin a small clipboard. "Here, see if you can get him to answer a couple of questions before he passes out," he said. "It'll give us something to start with this evening."

The two men left Caitlin alone with String. He stared at her but was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. "Caitlin," he said. "Please be careful. I already have a really bad feeling about those two."

"I will," she replied. "I'm more worried about you."

"I'll be fine," he said. "Don't worry. Just ask me those questions quick because I can't keep my eyes open much longer."

Caitlin asked the few questions on the clip board and jotted down some notes. By the time she was finished String was sound asleep. She looked over to make sure his door was still closed and she quickly leaned in and kissed him before turning and heading out.

"I'll see you tonight," she whispered. "I love you."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

After going home to her apartment for much needed sleep, Caitlin met up with Dr. Jordan for dinner as promised. She was surprised to find that he seemed to genuinely care about his job. However, she did find him to be quite self centered when it came to bragging about his accomplishments. In this case, she didn't really mind that he wanted to talk mainly about himself because she hated having to talk about all of the stuff Michael had made up for her cover. Finally, after an hour of bragging about himself, he asked about her.

"So, what brings you to our hospital anyway?" he asked. "You could have had your pick of a lot of better places."

"Oh," she said. "Actually I heard an old friend of mine was trying to get on here. I guess he must have changed his mind."

"Why is that?" asked Jordan.

"I just mean that I thought he was here but he's not," she replied. "His name is Dr. Gifford."

"Oh, yeah, he did work with us for a short while," said Jordan. "Dr. Case said he quit because he wasn't happy with the experimental procedures he was using."

"Really?" asked Catlin. "When was that? I was hoping to catch up with him."

"Was he an old boyfriend of yours?" Jordan asked with a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"No, nothing like that," she replied. "Actually it's my sister who was hoping that I would get his number for her." Caitlin hoped her lie was convincing.

It seemed to work. Dr. Jordan smiled at her. "Well, in that case, I'll see what I can find out for you," he replied.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Back at the hospital, Saint John showed up early for his shift and went to visit String before the others arrived. He quietly slipped into his room. String was still tied down to the bed and appeared to be sleeping.

"String?" Saint John whispered. "Are you awake?"

String opened his eyes and stared at his brother. "Yeah," he replied. "But I don't know how much more I can take of being strapped down here."

"Hey, you got the easy job," replied Saint John. "I spent all of last night trying to get away whenever possible to search this place."

"Did you find anything?" asked String.

"Yeah," he replied. "Apparently there is a basement floor of the place that it highly restricted. They don't let orderlies like me go there. I tried to get down there but they've been keeping me pretty busy."

"You think maybe they're holding Doc down there?" asked String.

"If he's here, I can't imagine where else he'd be," replied Saint John. "You think you can try and get away and check it out?"

String looked down at the straps that bound his wrists. "Uh, what do you think? I'm not Houdini you know."

Saint John laughed. "Very funny," he said. "I seriously doubt they'll keep you in those much longer. It seems to be the procedure for all newly admitted patients. I got a look at the schedule. Dr. Case, Jordan and Caitlin should be here within the hour."

String frowned at the comment. "Caitlin's having dinner with Jordan as we speak," he said. "I hate the idea of her being alone with that guy. He seems to be a bit of a chauvinist."

Saint John patted his brother on the shoulder. "Just think of it as a fact finding dinner," he said. "You know Cait can take care of herself."

"I know," he replied. "That still doesn't mean I like it."

Saint John tried to make his brother feel better by relaying new information that Michael had given him. He found that Dr. Jordan had a clean record but had a reputation for being a bit reckless.

"That's why he ended up here," said Saint John. "A lot of reputable doctors didn't want to take a chance on him. Apparently Case liked that about him and gave Jordan the opportunity."

"What did you find out about Dr. Case?" asked String.

"He's been working on some experimental drugs," Saint John said solemnly. "I have to admit, that makes me a bit nervous. I don't like the idea that he could use them on you."

"I'll try not to give him a reason to," replied String. "I'll have to keep my so called illness on the borderline of mild to extreme."

"Just be careful," replied Saint John. "I'll be close by and I know Cait will be watching over you too."

"I can handle this," said String. "I don't need you two to babysit me."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Three hours later, Dr. Jordan and Caitlin came by to check on String when they were making their rounds. He had already had a session with Dr. Case and to his relief as well as Caitlin's, the restraints had been removed. Dr. Jordan asked String a series of what seemed to be unusual questions to Caitlin but she stood by and didn't speak. She couldn't help but keep her eyes focused on String.

"I can't let on how much this worries me," she thought to herself. "He's a grown man and he can take care of himself."

Jordan did seem to notice that Caitlin couldn't keep her eyes off of String. She couldn't hide her attraction to him, it was obvious. As they were getting ready to leave the room, he leaned over and tried to kiss her.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "We're in front of a patient."

"Oh, I don't think he'll mind," said Dr. Jordan.

"I mind," she replied. "We've only been out on one dinner date. I don't kiss on the first date."

"Come on," he said. "Don't be that way."

String held back as long as he could but finally spoke up. "Hey, if the lady said no, she said no," he replied.

"I don't think this is any of your business Mr. Hawke," said Dr. Jordan.

"Well, you're in my room," String replied. "So, that makes it my business."

"You're right," said Dr. Jordan. "We'll take this elsewhere."

To String's discomfort, Dr. Jordan led Caitlin out of his room and into the hall.

"What was all that about?" Caitlin asked him. "Why did you do that?"

"Look Caitlin," he replied. "I'm sorry. I know that was wrong but you seemed like you were attracted to that guy and I guess I got a little jealous."

Caitlin frowned. "How can you be jealous?" she asked. "You don't even know me that well yet. Plus, I promise I'm not attracted to him. I went out with you didn't I?"

Jordan seemed to relax at her statement. "Will you go out with me again then?" he asked.

"If you promise not to pull anymore of those stunts, I will," she said. "We need to keep things strictly professional at work."

Dr. Jordan smiled. "Okay, I promise." he said.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Later that evening, String found his chance to sneak away. He had been given free time to visit some of the recreation areas. He took the stairs and quietly made his way down to the bottom floor. The door was locked and he noticed that it would take a special code to open it.

"Damn," he said. "I've got to figure out a way to get onto this floor."

He turned and started back up the stairs. To his dismay, he ran right into Dr. Case.

"Mr. Hawke, why are you in the stairwell and where are you going?" he asked.

"Oh, sorry, I got lost," Hawke lied. "I was bored and decided to take a walk."

"Well, this isn't the place for leisurely strolls Mr. Hawke," replied Case. "Let's get you back to your room."

Dr. Case escorted String back to his room and helped him into the bed. "I'll be back to check on you again shortly," he replied. "Please don't take anymore unnecessary tours."

"I'm sorry doctor," he said. "I won't." String hoped that Case had bought his lie.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Dr. Case met with Jordan in his office an hour later. They were meeting to discuss the status of their patients.

"How is Ms. Owens doing?" he asked. "Have you gotten her acclimated to our procedures yet?"

"Yes, she's doing very well," replied Dr. Jordan. "I think she's fitting in nicely."

"Good," replied Case. "We'll need her help. I've decided to go ahead and use my new drug on Mr. Hawke this evening."

"So soon?" asked Jordan. "Are you sure you have enough information on the seriousness of his illness?"

"Of course," replied Case. "He had a bad episode tonight when I went in to check on him. I think the only recourse is to start treatment right away."

"Okay, if that's what you think is best," Jordan said reluctantly. "It's your call."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Shortly after he had settled back into his room, String was surprised when two very large orderlies came into his room and strapped him back down to his bed.

"Hey, what is this for?" he complained. They ignored his comments and his objections. He knew they were too strong for him to fight and he had no choice but to give in.

"Damn it," he thought. "Now how am I supposed to get down to the basement? It's going to have to be up to Saint John and Caitlin now."

Before he even finished his thought, Dr. Jordan and Case came into the room.

"Well, I see we are settled back down now," said Dr. Case.

"I don't think I had much choice," replied String referring to the straps.

"It's just a precaution," said Dr. Case. "I'll remove them in a moment. First I need to get you started on your treatments."

String looked at the large needle that Dr. Case had in his hand. "Why is that necessary?" he asked.

"You want to get better don't you?" he asked. "This will assure that you will no longer have any of those episodes you're having again."

Before he put the needle in String's arm, Dr. Jordan spoke up. "Wait, are you sure about the dose?" he asked.

"Are you questioning my judgment?" asked Dr. Case. "I think I know what I'm doing."

"No sir," he replied. "It's just that…."

Dr. Case stuck the needle in String's arm before he could finish and spoke up. "Let me do my job," he said. "We'll discuss this later."

After giving Sting the injection, Dr. Case removed the straps and escorted Dr. Jordan out of the room.

"I suggest you go and take a break Dr. Jordan," he said. "Don't worry Mr. Hawke will be just fine."

Dr. Jordan turned and headed to the lounge. As he came in he found Caitlin getting a cup of coffee. She noticed he was upset about something and decided to ask him what was going on.

"What's the matter?" she asked. "You look upset about something."

Jordan sighed. "I'm just concerned about that patient Mr. Hawke," he said. "Dr. Case it trying his experimental drug on him and well, the dose seemed too high. Too much of it causes suicidal tendencies."

Caitlin tried to hide her sudden concern. "Are you sure?" she asked. "Why would he give him a dose like that if it were dangerous?"

"I don't know," replied Jordan. "It's so sudden too. He hasn't even done a real case study on him."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Caitlin's concern for String was growing. She had to figure out a way to make sure he was alright without giving away her cover.

"Do you think we should go and check on Mr. Hawke," she asked Dr. Jordan.

He sighed. "Yeah, I think that would be a good idea," he replied. "I don't want to step on Dr. Case's toes but the safety of the patient comes first."

Caitlin was happy to see that even though she thought he was a self centered jerk, Dr. Jordan seemed to have a conscious. They headed quickly to String's room only to find that he wasn't there.

"Did Dr. Case take him somewhere?" she asked.

"No, he was here when we left him and Dr. Case went to his office." Jordan replied. "I think we should split up and go look for him. Don't alert anyone on the staff though. I don't want to do anything to wreck Dr. Case's reputation."

"Okay, I won't," replied Caitlin although she really wanted help in locating String. "I wonder if I can find Saint John?" she thought.

"I'll check the first two floors and you take the top two," he instructed her.

Caitlin headed up to the third level. Her heart was beating fast as she walked quickly up and down the halls of each floor. She asked several patients if they had seen anyone new up there and no one seemed to have seen him. She repeated her efforts on the top floor and was met with an unexpected reply.

"Yes, ma'am," said a young women who was sitting on the floor outside of her door. "I think he went up to the roof."

Caitlin felt like she couldn't breathe. She quickly took the stairs to the roof. It was dark but there was a full moon that illuminated most of the area. She ran around to the right side and quickly stopped in her tracks. String was sitting up on the edge of the roof with both legs dangling over the side.

"String!" she yelled. "String, come on down from there."

String gave her a blank look. "No," he said flatly. "This all ends here tonight."

Caitlin moved closer to him and lowered her voice. "String, what are you talking about?"

"This," he said. "All the misery, all the deaths, it all ends for me tonight." He said quietly.

"No," she replied. "String, please listen to me," she begged.

"Who are you?" he asked. "Do I know you?"

"Of course you know me," she replied. "I'm Caitlin, remember?"

"No, I don't know anyone named Caitlin," he replied. "Please go away so I can jump. I don't want you to have to see this."

"No," she said again. "You can't do that. Please, listen to me."

String turned his head and looked at her before turning back and looking down at the ground. "They say this is the quickest way to go," he said.

"String, you don't want to kill yourself," she said. "Please look at me."

Hawke turned and swung one leg back over onto the inside of the ledge so he was straddling the small wall that edged the building.

"What?" He asked bluntly. "How do you know what I want?"

Caitlin moved closer to him. "Stop right there," he demanded. "If you come in any closer, I'll jump now."

"Okay," she replied. "String, you don't know what you're doing. It's the drug you've been given. You have to listen to me."  
"Why?" he asked. "Why should I listen to you? I don't know you. You're just some doctor."

"Yes, you do," she replied. "I'm Caitlin, your Caitlin."

String studied her face and then turned his leg back around so that both legs were once again hanging off of the roof.

"I don't know you," he said.

"Yes, you do," she insisted. "We're engaged. You asked me to marry you. I love you."

"Now I know you're lying," he replied. "I wouldn't risk asking anyone to marry me. Everyone I love dies."

"That's not true," she said. "I'm here and I'm alive. Saint John is alive."

"Liar!" he screamed. "Leave me alone!"

Caitlin felt her emotions take control of her usually cool head. Tears streamed down her face.

"I love you Stringfellow Hawke," she said. "You are my world, my whole life now. I've never been happier than I am when I'm with you. It took us over two years to get to this point."

String turned and once again swung one leg back over to the inside of the ledge. "Why?" he said. "If what you say is true, why did it take so long?"

"You're stubbornness," she replied. "The fact that you believed that everyone you love dies on you."

"Why would I think it would be any different with you?" he asked. "None of this makes any sense."

"I can't answer that," she replied. "I don't know why. I just know that you finally gave in and it was the best thing that ever happened to me."

"This is a trick," he said quietly. "If it's true, why wouldn't I remember you?"

Caitlin moved closer. "It's because of the medication you were given," she replied. "It's causing you to have some sort of memory loss."

"I still don't believe you," he replied.

"Come down here and I'll prove it to you," she replied. "Come on, what do you have to lose?"

String shook his head and stood up on the ledge.

"NO!" screamed Caitlin.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

String turned and jumped down towards Caitlin.  
"Prove your point," he said. "You have five seconds."

Caitlin ran up to him and put her arms around him. She pulled him tightly into a kiss. He was surprised at first but found that he was responding to her automatically. The kiss was so passionate and long that it nearly left both of them breathless.

When they pulled away, he found himself looking into her eyes. Suddenly something seemed to register inside of him. He felt a tug of war going in his head. Something told him that he needed to believe her but his mind was foggy.

"I think I do know you," he said. "I just can't seem to remember how."

Caitlin refused to let go of him. She hugged him tighter. "Give it time, you'll remember," she said. "I promise. Just don't let go of me."

String stared at her and tried desperately to shake the fog from his head. "Thanks," he said.

Caitlin smiled. "I'll always be there for you," she replied. "We're in this together."

Suddenly Caitlin and String heard a noise behind them. They turned to see Dr. Case standing there with a gun aimed at them.

"Well, well, now," he said. "This turn of events is too bad. You should have let him jump. Now, I'll have to find a way to take care of both of you."

String was surprised to find that he was instinctively pulling Caitlin behind him and out of the line of fire. He grabbed her arm and held tight.

"Come with me," ordered Dr. Case. "Soon you'll find out what happens to people who get in the way of my research."

"How can you continue your research if people are dying because of it?" asked Caitlin. "What kind of doctor does that?"

"A rich one," he replied. "This drug has been successful. There have only been a few minor setbacks."

"Minor?" asked Caitlin. "How is someone committing suicide minor?"

"There are risks with all drugs, my dear," he replied. "Soon, I'll have all the bugs worked out and I will be known as the doctor who cured PTSD."

Dr. Case forced them into the elevator and used a special key before pushing the button to the basement level. Once there, they were taken down to the end of a long hall and locked into a small, lowly lit room.

Caitlin was the first to notice the man who was unconscious on the floor of the room. "Doc," she yelled as she ran over to him.

String followed her over to him and they both kneeled down to check him out. "Do you know him?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "That's why we came here in the first place," she said. "We were trying to find him."

Caitlin surveyed the space. The small room had two beds, one on both sides of the room. "Help me get him up onto the bed," she instructed String.

They moved Doc to the bed and within seconds he began to stir. Caitlin sat on the edge of the bed and brushed Doc's hair from his face. His forehead was bruised and she could see that he had several needle marks on his arms.

"Shh…take it easy Doc," she told him. "You're going to be okay."

Doc slowly opened his eyes and the room gradually came into focus. "Caitlin?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "And String."

Doc sat up slowly and looked around. "Oh, no," he said. "He has you too?"

"I'm afraid so," replied Caitlin. "Are you feeling alright?"

Doc groaned and lay back down on the bed. "He's been using me as his own personal lab rat," he replied. "We've got to get out of here. There is no telling what this mad man is going to do next."

Caitlin looked up at String who was just standing there with a blank look on his face. "Yeah, we just had our own little run in with him," she said. "String just tried to jump off of the roof and kill himself because of whatever drug he was given. He still isn't sure who I am."

Doc sat back up. "That's the same drug that killed my friend," he replied. "Apparently, she did jump off of the roof. It should wear off shortly though."

Caitlin stood up and walked over to String. She put her arm around his waist. "Why don't you lay down for awhile and rest," she said.

"I think that might be a good idea," he replied. "I am feeling a little light headed."

Caitlin led him over to the other bed and helped him lay down. As she was about to move away from him, he grabbed her wrist and pulled he back towards him. "Please lay with me," he begged. "I'm not sure why but I know I need you."

Caitlin looked over at Doc who was now sitting up on the bed with his legs dangling over the side. He shook his head at her. "You might as well," he replied. "Its morning so Doctor Case is gone until tonight. We aren't going anywhere."

Caitlin wanted to tell him that maybe Saint John would find his way down there but she wasn't sure if the room was bugged or if they were being watched somehow. She figured she'd save that for later. String moved over in the bed and made room for her. She quickly snuggled up with him and they both fell asleep fast.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Several hours later Caitlin woke to the sound of conversation. She found that she was alone in the bed. String and Doc were standing near a small window with bars.

"There's no way out of here String," said Doc. "I've tried. I can't get those bars off."

"Our only hope is that Saint John realizes we're missing," he replied.

Caitlin called out to Hawke. "String?"

Both men turned towards her and String walked over to the bed. "I'm right here," he replied.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

String tried to smile as he sat down beside her. "Yeah, I remember everything now, if that's what you mean."

"Thank God," she replied. "I was so worried about you."

"Well, looking back," he said. "I was worried about me too."

Doc spoke up. "That drug Doctor Case is using is pretty powerful. He's also doing some sort of electric shock therapy," he said. "He's been running me through all kinds of strange tests for some reason. Who knows what he has planned next."

Caitlin sat up in the bed. "You mean you think he's going to experiment on us?" she asked.

"That's exactly what I mean," he replied. "I'm pretty sure of it. He seems to get his kicks from other people's misery."

"What about this Doctor Jordan?" Hawke asked with a hint of jealousy in his voice. "He seems to be fascinated with Caitlin."

Doc sighed. "Well, from what I could tell, he doesn't seem to know much about Dr. Case's extra activities. He hasn't been down here if that's what you're asking."

"That's good to know," said Caitlin.

String stared at her. "Why, were you actually attracted to this guy?" he asked.

Caitlin laughed. She didn't know why but she was amused at String's sudden insecurity. "No, but I did spend time with him," she replied. "He was a jerk but he did seem to care about his patients. I was hoping he wasn't involved."

String leaned over and kissed her. "I was just checking," he said with a smile.

Doc watched the exchange between the two. "Whatever you two do," he said. "You can't let Dr. Case see your weaknesses."

"Well, it's too late for that," replied String. "He's already seen Caitlin and me together. He has to know she's my weakness. I'll do whatever it takes to protect her."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Meanwhile, Dr. Jordan caught up with Dr. Case who was making a cup of coffee in the doctor's lounge. He had been by Hawke's room and noticed he was not there. He had also found that Caitlin was no where around. Saint John had come to the same findings and decided to follow Dr. Jordan to see if he could get a lead on where Caitlin and String could have gone to.

"Dr. Case," said Jordan. "I was just checking on Mr. Hawke and I see he's no longer in his room. Did everything go alright with his treatment?"

Dr. Case sat down with his coffee and looked up at Dr. Jordan. "I'm afraid that Mr. Hawke escaped the hospital early this morning," he said. "I have the authorities looking in to it. He's not a threat to society so there's no call for alarm."

Dr. Jordan was unsure of the answer he got but he played along. "Oh, okay," he replied. "What about Dr. Owens? I haven't been able to find her this afternoon."

Dr. Case sighed. "Unfortunately, she and I had a disagreement about Mr. Hawke's case and she decided to resign her position," he said. "I just put up a posting for a new intern."

"Really?" he asked. "I thought she would have at least left me her number or something."

"Why is that?" asked Dr. Case.

Jordan didn't want Dr. Case to know his involvement with Caitlin so he skirted the issue. "She seemed like a nice girl. I would have liked to stay in touch," he replied.

Saint John overheard the entire conversation from the hallway. He knew that what Dr. Case was saying was all lies. String wouldn't leave the mission and neither would Caitlin.

"Something's happened to them," he thought to himself. "I'd better get out of here and contact Michael and Dom. They have to be down in that basement somewhere. I can't do this all alone."


	8. Chapter 8

_Yes, this guy is a little bit dastardly. But, hey, it is a story about a mental hospital. :o)_

**Chapter 8**

Caitlin, Doc, and String were all on alert as they heard someone coming down the hallway towards the room they were in.

"Move away from the door," said Doctor Case as he looked into the small glass opening at the top of the structure. I have a gun and I know how to use it."

The three stepped back and watched as he opened the door and walked in pointing the gun at them.

"Well," he said. "Now I'm on to my next phase of research."

He grabbed Caitlin by the arm and pulled her towards the door. String flinched and held back with all his strength as he watched Dr. Case take Caitlin out of the room and lock the door behind them.

"Damn it!" he yelled. "If he hurts her in any way, there will be hell to pay."

"Easy String," said Doc. "Remember what I said. Try your best to hide your feelings. The more he has over you, the worse it will be for both of you."

Dr. Case took Caitlin to a large lab at the other end of the hallway. He led her over to a table and made her get onto it. He moved quickly to strap her down securely so she couldn't move.

"What are you going to do with me?" she asked trying to hide her concern and showing her contempt for his actions.

"Just a little experiment in human nature," he replied. "I have several questions that I plan t have answered here."

"I'm not telling you anything," she replied. "It doesn't matter what you do to me."

"We'll see," replied Dr. Case with a smirk. He applied several wires to various places on her body. Caitlin flinched at his touch. She tried to keep herself calm.

"What is that for?" she asked while suspecting it had something to do with electric shock.

"Let's just say that you'll get a jolt if you don't answer my questions," he replied.

Dr. Case proceeded to ask her several questions about why she came to the hospital. She tried to lie at first but he seemed to know.

"Oh, my dear," he replied. "This is also a lie detector. I know you are lying to me."

Case pushed several buttons and Caitlin nearly screamed in pain as a jolt of electricity went through her body.

"Not so pleasant is it?" he asked. "But, now that you know what the consequences are, we'll move to the next phase."

Dr. Case left the room and Caitlin tried to relax for the moment. Then she fought the bonds that bound her but it only made her wrists bleed. Within minutes he was back with String.

String tried to hide his fury when he saw Caitlin. He could see the pain in her eyes and he felt his own heart beat increase. She was the love of his life and it was his job to protect her. "I'm not doing a very good job," he thought.

Case strapped String down just as he had Caitlin and added the same electric wires. The two were lying side by side a few feet from each other and String turned his head to see Caitlin staring over at him.

"Now, Ms. Owens," said Dr. Case. "If that's even your real name. I want you to tell me why you came here?"

"I came for a job," she lied.

"My dear," he said. "You know that I can tell when you are lying to me."

He pushed a button but to Caitlin's surprise, instead of shocking her, the jolt went to String.

String tried hard to fight the pain but it took him by surprise and he couldn't help but yell out.

"You see," said Dr. Case. "Now if you lie to me, your friend here will have to deal with the pain."

Caitlin tried to hide her horror. She didn't know what to do so she stared at String. He tried to convey to her that it was okay. She stared into his eyes. The thought of hurting him tore her apart.

"Once again, Ms. Owens," he said. "Why did you come here?"

"I said I came for a job," she replied loudly.

"I see you are very adamant about that," said Case. "Well, your friend here will have to pay for your stubbornness."

Case gave String another jolt of electricity. Caitlin could tell that the pain was excruciating. She wanted to close her eyes and her ears. Hearing String's cries nearly killed her. She couldn't take much more.

"One last time," said Dr. Case. "Why did you come here?"

"To find our friend Doc," she yelled out.

"Caitlin!" yelled Hawke. She could tell he was mad that she gave in and told the truth.

Dr. Case laughed. "Well, I thought that might have something to do with it. Something tells me there's more to it though. Who are you working for?"

"Don't tell him anything else!" yelled String.

"Oh, I'm not going to ask her that," replied Case. "I know her breaking point. Now I'm going to find out yours. This question is for you and if you don't answer it correctly, she's going to be the one who pays."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Before Saint John contacted Michael and Dom, he decided to take a chance on Dr. Jordan. He pulled him aside and explained to him why he was there and what he thought was going on.

"My God," said Dr. Jordan. "I thought he was a little off, but I never thought he was capable of murder. I'll do whatever you need me to do to help."

"Can you get us a blueprint of the basement level layout?" Saint John asked. "We might be able to get in there somehow from the outside."

"Sure," said Jordan.

"Meet me outside in an hour," said Saint John. "Please, whatever you do, avoid Dr. Case. For the lives of those down there, he can't know about any of this."

Saint John contacted Dom and Michael. They decided to try and find an entry point to the main hall that shared an outside wall. If there was one, Dom would blow a hole from the outside giving them access.

"The only problem with this is that we have to move fast once inside," said Saint John.

Dom had landed Airwolf in an empty side parking lot by the hospital. Dr. Jordan overheard their comments as he approached them.

"I want to go inside with you," he said. "I knew something was wrong with his methods and I feel responsible for letting it go on this long."

Jordan gave Dom the blueprints. They reviewed them and found a section that would give them access to the main hall. "Okay, let's do this," said Dom. "I pray that Cait, String, and Doc are all okay in there."

"We'll find out soon enough," replied Saint John.

Dr. Jordan and Saint John moved as far from the blast point as possible but as close as they could be to ensure a quick enough entry once Dom and Airwolf blew the hole in the building.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Back in the lab, Dr. Case was continuing his interrogation of String and Caitlin.

"Okay, now Mr. Hawke," he said. "Tell me who you are working for?"

String tried to control his heartbeat to beat the lie detector. "We aren't working for anyone," he replied. "Like she said, we were just trying to find our friend."

Dr. Case laughed. "Well, you sure aren't a good liar Mr. Hawke."

He pushed a button and Caitlin screamed out loud in pain. String felt himself tense up. Hearing her tore his heart to the core. He didn't know how much more he could take.

"Don't you dare tell this guy anything!" yelled Caitlin. "We don't owe him any answers."

"Ah, but you do," said Case. "You are ruining my research and forcing me to do things I don't want to do."

"You don't have to do this," said String. "You can give us our friend and let us go."

"Oh, if only it were that easy," he replied. "Once again Mr. Hawke, who are you working for?"

When String lied again he closed his eyes and tried to block out Caitlin's scream of pain. He knew that he would have to eventually give in. He couldn't let her take the brunt of it all any longer.

Case asked again but before String could answer, they all heard a loud explosion coming from the hallway. Before Dr. Case could move to go and check it out, Saint John and Dr. Jordan stormed into the room. Saint John pointed a gun at Dr. Case and ordered him to undo String's straps while Dr. Jordan assisted in freeing Caitlin.

"You're a traitor Dr. Jordan," said Case. "How can you do this to me after I've put up with all of your shenanigans?"

"I don't want to have anything to do with murder," he said as he helped Caitlin off of the table.

Dr. Case move back towards his desk after freeing String from his bonds. "Well, I don't plan on going down without a fight," he replied as he pulled out a gun and aimed it towards Caitlin.

"No!" screamed String as Case pulled the trigger several times. Dr. Jordan dove in front of Caitlin and one bullet hit him in the chest. Another bullet ricocheted off of a table and creased the side of Caitlin's forehead. Both she and Dr. Jordan fell to the ground.

Saint John turned quickly and shot Dr. Case. He died before he hit the floor.

String ran over to Caitlin as Dom and Doc entered the room. He held her as Doc checked her out.

"She's still alive String," he said. "But we need to get her to a medical hospital right away to make sure she doesn't have any intracranial hemorrhaging.

"What about Jordan," String asked.

"He's dead," replied Saint John. "It looks like he may have saved Caitlin's life."

_One more chapter to go. :o)_


	10. Chapter 10

_The is the last chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed the story. I could have taken it in so many directions. I ended up with writer's block at first because I got a little lost with it. As a result, I decided to keep it simple. Thanks so much to those who reviewed! :o)_

**Chapter 10**

Later that evening, String sat quietly by Caitlin's bedside in the hospital and held her hand. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He wished she would regain consciousness. It hurt him to see her just lying there so still. After awhile, Doc came in and sat down beside him.

"She's going to be alright Hawke," he said quietly. "Tests show there is no bleeding. She just suffered a severe concussion."

"I know," he replied. "It just hurts seeing her like this." Caitlin's head was wrapped in a large bandage and her face was lightly pale.

Doc sighed. "Thank you for coming for me and saving my life," he said. "I'm sorry that it all ended like this."

String turned and looked at his friend. "I know you would've done the same for us," he replied. "I'm glad you were able to get an answer about your friend's death."

"Yeah," he replied. "At least her family knows that she really didn't try to kill herself. They were having a hard time with that."

"I can understand that," replied String.

Doc paused a moment before continuing. "Look, String," he said. "The doctors wan to do some tests on you to make sure you don't have any lasting effects from the drug that Case gave you."

String sighed. "I don't need them to do any tests," he said. "I'm fine."

"What'd I tell ya?" asked Dom who was standing in doorway with Saint John and caught the tail end of the conversation.

"I know," said Saint John. "But, there are two of us and he has no choice in the matter."

String gave them both a dirty look. "Will it get the two of you off of my back if I go and let them prod and poke me?"

Saint John laughed. "Yep," he said. "They're waiting for you now."

String looked at them and then back at Caitlin. They could see the concern on his face.

"Don't worry kid," said Dom. "I'll stay with her. The doctors don't think she'll wake up until tomorrow. You'll be back in time. She's not going anywhere."

String got up and walked over to Dom. "You promise she won't?" he asked sadly.

Dom gave him a hug. "Don't give up on her String," he said. "She's strong. It's going to be okay."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Caitlin woke to the sound of thunder and light rain that was hitting the roof of the cabin. She looked beside her and noticed that she was in bed alone. She couldn't believe it had been three weeks since the last time it rained and Michael had shown up on their doorstep. So much had happened and she still hadn't talked to String about it. She wanted to but something inside of her was holding back. She loved that he was patient and had been waiting for her to bring up what had happened.

She smiled as she smelled the light sent of cinnamon in the air. String came up the stairs carrying a plate of cinnamon rolls. He stopped at the top of the stairs when he noticed she was staring at him.

"What?" he asked. "Why are you staring?"

Caitlin smiled. "Come here," she said.

He jumped into the bed with her and handed her the plate. She turned and kissed him deeply.

"Thanks for remembering my tradition," she said.

"Hey, it's a good tradition," he replied. "Besides, last time we were interrupted and didn't get to spend the whole day in bed."

"Yeah," she said somberly. Hawke could tell that she still had some things on her mind about what happened with Dr. Case and Jordan.

"Do you want to talk about it Cait?" he asked. "I know you've had a lot on your mind and I didn't want to push."

Caitlin smiled at him and snuggled closer. "I feel bad about Jordan losing his life for me," she finally said. "But, I guess what's bothering me the most is that I blew it."

String put his hand on her chin and turned her face towards his. "What do you mean you blew it?" he asked.

Caitlin turned away from him. She couldn't look him in the eyes. "I told him why we were there," she said. "I just couldn't stand seeing you in pain. I'm sorry."

String pulled her to him and kissed her again. When he was done he made her look at him again. "Caitlin, if Saint John hadn't come in when he did, I was going to give in too," he said. "I couldn't handle seeing you in pain either. We are human you know. Plus, I love you and it kills me to see anything bad happen to you."

"Really?" she said. "You were going to give in?"

"Of course," he said pulling her back for another kiss. "Is that what's been bothering you all this time?"

Caitlin smiled. "Yeah," she said. "I guess I should be happy that we all made it out of there in one piece."

"I wasn't so sure about that when I saw you take that hit," said String. "It scared the hell out of me."

Caitlin put the plate on the nightstand and moved on top of String. "Well, that's over now," she said. "I say we continue with the tradition that you added to our rainy weekends."

String grinned. "Oh yeah?" he asked. "What was that?"

Caitlin began placing soft kisses from his chest up to his collar bone. "Do I need to give you anymore hints?" she asked laughing.

"Nope," he said quickly as he flipped her on her back and was suddenly on top of her. "I think I got the message loud and clear."

**The End**


End file.
